Eating Your Way Across America

The U.S.A. is the home of the free, but not so much the fat-free. Our country has a wealth of cities famous for fattening, mouth-watering, delectable dishes and all-around unhealthy food. Vacation is all about a little indulgence and breaking away from the everyday, but overindulging in too much unhealthy food can lead to digestive problems on the road and poor travel health. Stick with your healthy travel plans by treating yourself to just a taste of local fats — oops, flavor — but generally opt for healthier local fare.

Nix the New York City Hot Dogs

A very popular vacation spot, the Big Apple is known as much for its haute cuisine as its street treats, specifically hot dogs at various stands and venues across the city, all boasting the best dogs around. But tourist beware, as a whopping 21 grams of fat and 464 calories can lurk in the average 6.4 oz. stadium dog. Resist this unhealthy food and look for one of the newer food trucks offering a lean turkey dog or chicken sausage, and take it easy on the fixins.

Snub Chicago-Style Pizza

It’s deep, it’s thick, it’s loaded with sauce and cheese — and it’s a really unhealthy food. It’s Chicago-style pizza, and it’s the food this Midwestern town is best known for. Take your pick from any of the city’s best offerings, such as Gino’s East, Giordano’s, Lou Malnati’s, and more. But strap on your walking shoes and be prepared to burn some serious calories if you want to focus on good travel health. Just one slice of Chicago-style pizza is loaded with about 350 calories and 20 grams of fat. Skip the meat toppings to spare yourself a few calories.

Make Light of Memphis Barbecue

Spicy, smoky BBQ is what Memphis is famous for, especially at Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous restaurant in the heart of downtown. This restaurant has cooked for major celebrities who know this is the place to get real Memphis barbecued pulled pork, ribs, brisket, and more delicious but unhealthy food. Their special barbecue sauce has about 45 calories and 1 gram of fat in every 2 tablespoons. If you’re looking for some lighter fare on your healthy travels, opt for their charcoal-broiled chicken instead of the beef brisket or pork BBQ, and spoon on the sauce sparingly to save on fat and calories.

Look for a Kinder Kentucky Fried Chicken

Louisville is the home of Kentucky Fried Chicken, a famously unhealthy food. If you’re traveling to the land of bluegrass music, consider visiting the Colonel’s wife’s restaurant, Claudia Sanders Dinner House just outside of Louisville in Shelbyville, Ky. But no matter the restaurant, choose grilled or roasted chicken without the skin in place of the fried chicken, which typically has 33 grams of fat and more than 500 calories in one breast.

Take a Pass on the Philly Cheesesteaks

When you think of Philadelphia, you think of the founding fathers, our country’s rich history, and quite possibly Philly cheesesteaks, the hero-style sandwich that this Pennsylvania city is famous for. But know that the long, soft roll, stuffed with thinly-sliced beef and sautéed onions and slathered with cheese can pack more than 900 calories and 50 grams of fat! Consider sharing one rather than finishing it yourself, or skip the fat and cholesterol altogether by trying one of this top vacation spot’s other top treats, a soft pretzel (locals dress it with mustard) or “water ice,” the region’s version of Italian ices.

Say Bye-Bye to Buffalo Chicken Wings

Buffalo, N.Y., is known as the home of buffalo chicken wings, a countrywide favorite and sports bar staple. You can still get the original dish at the Anchor Bar — hot and spicy wings coated in butter and seasonings, fried, and served with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing to cool their heat. Yes, they’re delicious, but a greasy, fattening, unhealthy food. Just two wings have 13 grams of fat and 210 calories. To spare yourself some fat and calories, but still get a spicy taste (and feel good about healthy travel), opt for skinless wings that aren’t fried, and choose fat-free dressing for your dipping sauce.

Give Kansas City Ribs the Kiss-Off

Kansas City is known for its ribs, and you can find rib joints all over town. At the top of the perennial “best of” list is Arthur Bryant’s Kansas City, Mo. Barbecue, famous for its BBQ sauce that’s so delicious celebrities have traveled to the restaurant to enjoy it on the juicy, smoky, and spicy ribs. Though the BBQ sauce itself is low in calories (25) and fat (1.5 grams) per 2-tablespoon serving, savor it on lean chicken or turkey instead of beef or pork — and skip the side of fries to try to stick to your healthy travel plans.

Miss Out on Milwaukee Fried Cheese Curds

Heading to the Midwest for some family fun in the farmland? You might already be dreaming about the fried cheese curds. This unhealthy food is bite-sized pieces of fresh cheese dipped in batter and deep-fried. The squeaky cheese bits are famous across Wisconsin, and you can usually find them everywhere that serves food in the dairy-proud state. If you must indulge, split a serving with family and friends — one order of fried cheese curds has roughly 347 calories and 23 grams of fat. What about some plain cubes of low-fat Wisconsin cheese instead?

Say No to New Orleans Beignets

The world-famous beignets at Café du Monde in New Orleans are worth standing in line for — even the long line that always wraps around the block of this landmark eatery. These crispy, lightly fried balls of dough sprinkled with powdered sugar just scream unhealthy food, but are a signature taste of New Orleans, just as pralines are. Enjoy the beignets with a cup of the equally famous chicory coffee for a real taste of the French-infused culture of “Nawlins,” but try splitting an order — they come in servings of three, which add up to more than 10 grams of fat and over 500 calories. And rather than starting your day off with a sugary breakfast of beignets, for better travel health enjoy them as a dessert — after getting in plenty of exercise touring this vacation spot by foot.

Go Slow on Cincinnati Chili

It’s a little spicy and a little sweet, and nothing like a bowl of Texas chili. Cincinnati chili has its own distinct flavor, and there’s none more famous than the dish served at Skyline Chili restaurants, with locations around the state and in nearby Kentucky and Indiana. This non-traditional recipe comes in a “3-, 4-, or 5-way” — with noodles, chili, beans, onions, and loaded with cheese. Have just a child’s size or small order — a small 3-way of this unhealthy food packs 22 grams of fat and 380 calories.

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